More on emergency declaration

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With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Europe, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi signed a proclamation of a state of emergency today to trigger the flow of more federal dollars to help in the fight against the 2,000-acre blaze that had burned 165 homes south of Lake Tahoe. The fire started Sunday afternoon and was burning within two or three miles of the city of South Lake Tahoe, threatening 1,000 homes and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and visitors.

Ken Pimlott, assistant deputy director with the California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection, called the fire perhaps the area’s most devastating in the last 100 years.

‘For me this is a very poignant situation,’ said Garamendi, who represented the Lake Tahoe area in the Legislature from 1974 to 1984. ‘This is a very difficult day for people in Tahoe and for those of us who know and love that place.’

A dozen helicopters, 43 hand crews and 110 fire engines were being used to battle the blaze, said state Office of Emergency Services Director Henry Renteria, but thick smoke was hindering the use of firefighting planes. Schwarzenegger is being briefed ‘every hour on the hour,’ said governor’s spokesman Aaron McLear, including a 23-minute call at 7:15 a.m. today.

-- Nancy Vogel